She looks pretty mean with that water gun, Victoria's birthday party - July 2004

Victoria at Katy Kips Gymnastics - October 2004

Wayne and I met in the spring of 1992. We were married in April of 1994. Along with a husband I became step mom to two wonderful girls, Erica and Heather (who live in Florida). I always knew we would add to our family someday.

On our anniversary in 1999, Wayne told me he was ready for us to do whatever it took make my dreams a reality. So the very next day we began the fertility chase. After six surgeries and four in vitro attempts, we finally listened to what God had planned for us all along. Our family was enlarged by the labor of our hearts and international adoption.

Our “Venture to Victoria” officially began on Friday, August 24, 2001. We found out my last ivf had failed. Thankfully, we had already requested applications from our agency, Genesis Adoptions and our home study agency, IFS. Wayne and I completed all the paperwork and sent it out by overnight mail. I even had my passport picture taken the same day too.

By the end of September we were told we were ready to receive referrals. I will never forget the first video we received. We told our coordinator, Susan Secor, we hoping for a boy under one year old. She sent us a video with a boy AND A GIRL. Susan told us she was just led to send us this little girl.

Wayne and I watched the video together and before I could say a word, he said “There is our daughter, there she is!” There was just something behind those sad blue eyes. She seemed to call out to us.

On Tuesday, October 8 2001 we became parents by heart to our precious daughter, Victoria Ruth. Interestingly, Victoria was born July, 1999 the day after our first in vitro. God was in control the whole time and just working out all the details for us in His time.

I would like to share with you Victoria's story as we tell her and as she can tell you, word for word: Once upon a time, there was a man and a woman and they loved each other very much. They wanted to add to their family, so they prayed and prayed to God. One day he answered their prayers and said, “I have the most wonderful and perfect child that I made just for you. But you have to trust me and bring her home.

So the man and woman got on a plane and flew across the ocean and over the moon to a far away land called Russia. They spent the night in Moscow and met some interesting people there. The next day they flew all the way across the continent of Russia to a city called Vladivostok. There they met an angel in disguise named Tatiana.

Victoria in the Pumpkin Patch - October 2004

At vacation bible school - July 2004

The next day she picked them up and took them to a city called Ussuriysk. The man and woman were upstairs waiting in a room when all of the sudden the door opened and the most beautiful little girl they ever saw stood there. The little girl (Victoria) ran and jumped in mommy's lap and she looked at the daddy and said her very first word, PAPA!

The mommy and daddy visited Victoria every day. But Victoria became sick. She had chicken “spots” (Victoria's version of chicken pox). Mommy and daddy brought medicine for her.

A few days later the mommy and daddy had to go talk to a judge. They told the judge how much they loved Victoria and how God had told them He created her to be their daughter. The judge said, 'if God has said it, then I will make it official.'” And with that, we became a forever family blessed by adoption on January 18, 2002.

Please be sure to read Victoria's Journal for
personal reflections written daily throughout our “Venture to Victoria.